Chevrolet has begun road testing the first pre-production units of its Volt ‘range extender’ hybrid.

The new model line’s chief engineer, Andrew Farah, said in a blog that the first pre-production vehicle entered assembly on 27 May, as planned two years ago, and noted he had set a personal goal “to be driving in one of these vehicles by the fourth of July [Independence Day in the US].

“Yesterday [23 June], I drove the first Volt pre-production vehicle – more than a week ahead of schedule, and due in no small part to the commitment and enthusiasm of a great design, engineering and manufacturing team,” Farah wrote in GM’s ‘FastLane’ blog.

Farah said this was the first time he had experienced a Volt on-road: “To this point, I’ve only experienced the Volt through the virtual world of computer aided-design and concepts, as pieces and components scattered about on tables during meetings, and as engineering development “mule” vehicles during test drives.

“But yesterday, I was able to sit in, touch and drive [but only around GM's Warren, Michigan, test facility] an early version of the real thing. The mules demonstrated the potential drive experience of the Volt’s chassis and powertrain, but the pre-production vehicles bring together the complete Volt experience,”  Farah wrote.